Rack



S. E. GELB Aug. 2, 1949. I

RACK

Filed Oct. 19, 1945 W W m I 511m 11d 5- Gel BY P ATTORNEY Patented Aug.2, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 This invention relates to racksand more particularly to racks of the character for hanging garments,coat hangers and other articles.

Primarily the invention seeks to provide means movable from place toplace Where needed for a temporary use. For instance, when coming into ahouse in inclement weather with a wet garment, it is undesirable to hangthat garment with others in a closet and a temporary rack for thepurpose adapted to be situated outside the closet would be a mostacceptable accessory, and is an accomplishment of the present invention.The further desirability of locating the garment close to the closet soas to be conveniently put away when dry finds ready solution in thepresent invention by utilizing the door as a rack-supporting means. Inthis connection, an object of the invention is to utilize the door as asupport without alteration of or injury to the door. Another .object ofthe invention is to permit shutting the door and enable the door to besubject to normal use while also having the present invention carriedthereby. Other objects of the invention will appear to those skilled inthe art to which it appertains as the description proceeds, both bydirect recitation thereof and by inference from the context. Referringto the accompanying drawing in which like numerals of reference indicatesimilar parts throughout the several views: .Figure 1 is :a perspectiveview of a rack'constructed in accordance with the present invention andshown. in its assembled operative position on a door;

Figure 2 is a front elevation; and

Figure 3 is an edge view of a different mounting for the bracket ofFigure 1.

In the specific embodiment of the invention, the rack is illustratedcomplete in Figure 1 as comprising a mounting which in turn supports abracket ll removably therefrom. The mounting shown in this view isapplicable to the upper margin of a door I2 where it may be left, ifdesired, or removed at will. Said mounting is shown as made from sheetmaterial, of which metal is a preferred example, and is shaped, in edgeview as an inverted U the legs l3, l3 of which are adapted to besituated next the front and rear faces of the door and with thecross-portion M of the U resting on top edge of the door. The insidesurfaces of the U-shaped mounting are made smooth so as not to scratchthe door and the material is preferably resilient and the legs arrangedto normally slope toward each other in the direction to- 5 Claims. (Cl.211 106).

ward their free ends so as to grip the doorand frictionally retain themounting in place. Near the upper or connected ends of thelegs isprovided a suitable hook l5 projecting outward 5 and upward from theface of the leg. If desired,

both legs may be equipped withsuch a hook, enablin either or both to beutilized as a bracketsupporting means. As here shown, a tab of the metalof which the leg is made is stamped there from on three sides of the taband bent across the fourth side to provide the said hook as an integralpart of the leg material. However, it will'be appreciated a separatelymade hook secured to the leg may be employed if desired. Near the lowerpart of each leg of the mounting, at each side edge thereof, is provideda flange [6; also preferably integral with the material'forming the leg,and rolled forwardly and slightly over the leg to constitute anotherhook for engaging and limiting the side le of the bracket morespecifically described below.

Bracket I I by preference is fabricated from steel wire, both forstrength and resilience obtained by those inherent characteristics ofthat material. By welding, or otherwise, the wire is endless in thecompleted structure. The wire forming the bracket is bent to form a loopI! at an upper part of the same, the strands of the wire being broughtnear together as a constriction at 18, below the loop and then divergingoutwardly downward in the plane of the loop to form diverging legs I9.At the bottom of the legs, the strands are bent forwardly substantiallyin a generally perpendicular direction from the plane of the legs andloop 55 to constitute a bottom reach 20 adapted to receive and suspendsuch items as clothes, clothes hangers and the like in use. If desired,said bottom reaches 20 may be provided with a series of waves 2| formingcrests and hollows that will 40 aid in positioning or retaining itemshung therefrom from sliding. At the forward ends of the bottom reaches,the strands are bent backwardly upward to converge toward the originallymentioned loop, these parts being identified as braces 45 22, and at theconverging upper ends of these braces the strands unite in a second orfront loop 23 which tangentially engages the upper part of thefirst-described loop and is preferably welded or otherwise securedthereto at the engaged area. Said loops l1 and 23 are made of adequatesize to receive hook ll: of the mounting therein and are removable fromthe hook :at will by the user. The divergence of the legs I9 of thebracket is greater than divergence of the side hooks with on respect tothe supporting hook of the mounting thereby necessitating that the saidlegs be flexed toward each other in order to engage them within the sidehooks. The resilience of the metal wire of which the bracket is composedthen functions to retain the legs confined by the hooks. The flexing ofsaid legs is rendered more effective by virtue of the strands of thewire being brought inward at the lower part of the vertical loop I! atthe constriction l8 described.

If desired, the mounting may be left in place on the door and thebracket removed when not in use, or both the mounting and bracket may beremoved in accordance with the wishes of the householder. It may besaid, that it is usual to provide some clearance between a door and thetop rail of the frame for the doorway, and by virtue of the thincharacter of the material employed for the mounting, the mounting takesadvantage of the clearance without interfering with the normal openingand closing of the door. Furthermore, it is most probable that a doorwill tend to sag slightly in time and there is consequently rarely aninstance where the mounting cannot be used upon a door.

If desired, a mounting may be provided to be permanently attached to adoor or wall, such a mounting being shown in Figures 2 and 3. Thismounting, identified as Illa provides only a single leg or body l3ahaving a hook l5a on the face thereof near the top, and side flanges orhooks 16a at a distance below the top hook and into which the bracket ofFigure 1 may be flexed for mounting as described in connection with thepreferred form of mounting above. In this showing, hook [5a is shownattached by a rivet 24', exemplifying the previously mentionedpossibility of utilizing a separately formed hook rather than forming itas a stamped portion 'of' the mounting. This mounting may be secured inplace by such means as screws 25 applied therethrough into the door orwall where desired.

I claim:

1. A rack comprising a mounting having an upper hook and Side hooks, anda bracket so constructed and arranged that it engages with said sidehooks and on said upper hook, said bracket having diverging legs andbraces diverg ing 'f'r'onreach other and from the legs, and said brackethaving article supporting means as part thereof extending from one ofthe legs to one of the braces.

2. A bracket comprising a wire structure having a pair of loops intangential engagement, the first of said loops having legs diverginglydepending therefrom and the second of said loops having braces extendingtherefrom and diverging from the legs and from each other, and crossreaches each connecting one leg with one brace.

3. A bracket comprising a wire structure having a pair of loops intangential engagement, the first of said loops having legs diverginglydepending. therefrom and the second of said loops having braces slopingforwardly downwardly therefrom and diverging from the legs and from eachother, and cross reaches each connected to the bottom of a leg and thebottom of a brace and constituting article hanging means.

4. A bracket comprising a wire structure having a pair of loops intangential engagement, the first of said loops having legs diverginglydepending therefrom and the second of said loops having braces slopingforwardly downwardly therefrom and diverging from the legs and from eachother, and a bottom reach extending generally perpendicular from eachleg and connecting with a brace and thereby constituting a horizontallydisposed article hanging means.

5. A bracket comprising a Wire structure having a pair of loops intangential engagement, the first of said loops having legs diverginglydepending therefrom and the second of said loops having braces slopingforwardly downwardly therefrom and diverging from the legs and from eachother, and a bottom reach between the lower ends of a leg and a brace,said bottom reach being vertically wavy for retaining articles suspendedtherefrom in place.

SAMUEL E. GELB.

REFERENCE S CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Re. 15,628 Wagner 1 June 19, 19231,073,495 Johnson 1 Sept. 16,1913 1,315,326 Palis Sept. 9,1919 1,714,201West May 21, 1929 1,759,214 Winters 1 1 May 20,1936 2,166,523 GaebelJuly 18, 1939 2,198,584 Swably 1-1-1 Apr. 23, 1940 2,334,036 Roller 1Nov. 9,1943 2,344,339 Zwald Mar. 14,1944

